


An Apology of Sorts

by Lady_Sci_Fi



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Episode Related, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:02:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22644577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Sci_Fi/pseuds/Lady_Sci_Fi
Summary: Some time after "The Ark in Space," the Doctor owes Sarah an apology, for the things he said to her while she was stuck in the shaft.
Relationships: Fourth Doctor/Sarah Jane Smith
Kudos: 27





	An Apology of Sorts

“You know…” Sarah bit her lip nervously. She and the Doctor had just finished breakfast and were walking out the Tardis door to a beautiful flowery field of pinks and blues and purples. She appreciated his quietly romantic side, even more so knowing this Doctor had said he was hers. Still, something unpleasant weighed on her mind.

“I know what?” the Doctor prompted when she didn’t continue.

Sarah hesitated a step forward. It was early in their romantic relationship, and she didn’t really want to bring up anything bad, and she didn’t want to ruin what looked like a lovely day. But… she felt the need to get this off her chest. It had been quietly cropping up in her mind from time to time since it had happened. “I mean… I think you owe me an apology.”

“An apology?”

Sarah cleared her throat a little. “On the Nerva station, what you said to me… when I was in the shaft.”

The Doctor stopped in his tracks. “Oh…” He didn’t turn to her, just stared out in the lush distance.

“I mean, I know what you were doing when you called me a stupid foolish girl and all those things.” She noticed his flinch at the specific words he had said. “I know you were trying to encourage me so we could get on with saving everyone. I know that, I do. And you haven’t said anything like it since. It’s just… in the moment, I didn’t know. I couldn’t have known. And it… it hurt.”

Sarah paused to look up at him. He didn’t say anything, but she could tell he was listening. “I know you wouldn’t do something like that again to me, but at the time… Well, I didn’t know how you were. I mean, how this you was going to be. I didn’t know if that’s how you were going to be to me, if that’s what you really thought of me, if you disliked me as you settled into the new you…”

“It wasn’t what I thought of you, not a single truth to it. Not then and not now.” The Doctor quietly said, turning his head down slightly to see her from the corner of his eye. His hand fiddled with the edge of his scarf. “I needed to encourage you, help you through it, and quickly. I figured that upsetting you, making you angry, would do it.”

Sarah snorted. “I mean, it did work. And you did say you were proud of me right after. But, I didn’t know at that moment if you meant that either, or if you were just stopping me from hitting you or something.”

“I did sincerely mean that.”

Sarah smiled slightly, and tugged on his sleeve to get him to look at her properly.

The Doctor took the cue. “You are wonderful, Sarah, from the day I met you. I never thought you any of those disparaging things I said. Not in any moment.”

She took his hand and tugged him forward, so they could continue walking through the field. “You won’t do any nasty tricks like that again?”

“No.” His hand squeezed hers.

“Good.” Sarah squeezed back.

Then the Doctor tugged on her hand to make her face him, and smiled warmly at her. Without warning, he scooped her up in his arms, bridal-style.

“Hey!” Sarah shouted out in surprise, but made no attempt to get down. Instead, she clung to his neck and laughed as he spun them around.

After a moment, he stopped to resettle her so she was facing him. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist. She kissed his cheek, and asked, “What was that for?”

The Doctor shrugged. He eased himself backwards until he softly fell to the soft colourful ground, in a sitting position with her straddling him.

Sarah’s hands slowly moved up from the Timelord’s shoulders to caress his cheeks. She simply looked at him for a long while, and he at her, their hands making slow tender touches.

Then he kissed her, his mouth as tender as his fingers. “My Sarah Jane…” he whispered. “My wonderful, strong, beautiful Sarah…”

Sarah’s arms around him tightened as his breath tickled the side of her neck and ear. “That’s what you think of me?” she asked softly. She didn't need to ask, already knowing the answer.

“Yes, always. I’ve never doubted you, never thought you any less. I never would.” He nudged his nose to her temple. “I’m certain I can promise you that.”

Sarah moved back enough to see his face again.

“You’ve proven that for me to think any less of you would make me the stupid foolish one.”

“That much, huh?”

“Without a doubt.”

Sarah moved in to bury her face in his neck. She giggled as his hands tentatively slid up the back of her shirt. At his “May I?” she nodded. She smiled against his skin as his hands moved up further.

Her own hands moved to between their bodies, pushing away scarf, and set about undoing the buttons of his shirt…

They laid among the flowers together, half-clothed and staring up at the purple-blue sky. The Doctor turned over onto his side to look at Sarah. He waited the moment for her to turn her head to look at him.

“I realize that I never did verbally apologize for what I said on the Nerva station. I am sorry that I hurt you. I’m sorry-”

Sarah pressed a finger over the Doctor’s lips. “Thank you. But I’d say that just now, and what you said right before is a pretty good apology of sorts.”

The Doctor kissed her fingers, and echoed, “Of sorts.” He picked a nearby flower and pushed the stem in her hair above her ear.

“You don’t need to grovel at my feet or anything like that.”

“Would you like it if I did?” he responded with a teasing grin.

“Maybe some other time.” Sarah returned the gesture, placing a flower in his wild curls. “I accept your apology, love.” She grinned as the Doctor moved in to claim her mouth for another long kiss.


End file.
